Call To Me
by MissMary
Summary: Link from Windwaker reflects on why he is leaving home with Tetra to search for a new Hyrule. Songficoneshot


**The song is "it's in the rain" (yes, it is supposed to be all small letters) written by Roma Ryan, performed by Enya in the album Amarantine. I do not own Legend of Zelda or Nintendo; all characters in the following story are from Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker. **

**Call My Name**

I can hear the rain, and it reminds me of him speaking to me. I don't know why; maybe because of the Windwaker. I still have the wand. I will be using it soon. When the pirate ship came in last time – my sister saw it in her telescope, and came flying to tell me before she ran to tell everyone else- I knew Tetra would come to see me. At first I steeled myself to say no, I am not willing to be a pirate, thanks for asking. I'd refused her twice already, but she wouldn't be Tetra if she wasn't stubborn and bossy.

As much as I heard the wind and waves calling, I would not leave without better reason. But last time, she had better reason. Last time, she had a story of a rich land if the monsters can be gotten around, and hope. Last time, she brought proof – a map. She left it, and yesterday I spoke to the postman, who told me that she was on her way back, about a day out.

This time, I will go. I took the map to Tingle, and he assured me that it was real. It was worth the gold for the information. Tingle, of course, does nothing for free, not even for old time's sake. The teacher agreed with him. I had to know if the chances were good that the wild story she told was real. But now it looks like she was not exaggerating to get me to come with them.

Aryl and Grandmother are not surprised. They knew that I have been restless, needing more, going out more. Grandmother has been making soup; I can smell it from here. Aryl already asked me if she can go, but I know she would miss home too much. Besides, she's been courted by one of the merchant's sons; if the family line is to continue for sure, she needs to stay. I may, one of these days, marry Tetra, but that's one task I still don't quite have enough courage for! Besides, Tetra's invitations may as well be a proposal, which is one of the reasons I refuse them. When I go, I will take the King of Red Lions, and she will NOT be MY captain.

My new knowledge of the other islands has helped trade around here a great deal. The islanders were scared when the pirate ship brought Aryl and me back, and they get nervous when they return, but since then they have heard the stories, and they believed me when I told them that the pirates would not bother them. It helped that a monster attacked some of the villagers and I took care of it. Seriously, it was starved, and not in good shape at all, which is why it was desperate enough to attack people, but after I dealt with it, no one laughed when Aryl told them I had informed the pirates that if they bothered anyone on my island, I would personally split their spleens.

I made one exception- Tetra. I told her that I would make sure the pirates saw a picture of her as Princess Zelda. Giving her some of the treasure I found helped; after all, she is a pirate captain and she needed to pay her crew. With Tetra it is much wiser to use blackmail and bribery instead of threats. That meant when I spoke to the merchants about the goods available on other islands, they were interested. I arranged an exchange.

With interest generated on both sides, I researched and found a way to transport the goods for a decent cost, and since then, all of the islands are trading more. The number of pirates has decreased dramatically, because it was fueled by the dark one, and without him the evil he spawned is falling apart. Besides, I arranged protection for sea traders through Tetra. She was shocked to discover it is more profitable to protect traders than to steal; the rivals are incapable of thinking on their own and are no match for her at all. By this time, there are almost no other pirates anyway, and I knew she was getting bored with escort service only.

I thought I could come back and take up my life where it ended. I thought that I would forget, in time. I was wrong. When a person leaves home and meets people who are different, and sees joy and pain, hate and love, failure and success, ambition and courage, the way that I have, it changes them forever. But how can you tell the people you grew up with how you have changed? How can you explain that you were the vessel of the goddesses, that you have wielded a sword of legend, that you have heard a language from the past, that you have defeated monsters past counting?

At first the villagers wondered why I was different. They heard the stories that came back, and they thought, "Our Link did that? The little boy who chased pigs and was so quiet and kind? It can't be him." Then I came back to stay, and they see the calluses on my hands and the muscles on my arms and the way I carry a weapon. They saw how I used my weapons on the monster. They don't know what to think of me, for all they are grateful for the increase in trade and the protections for the trading ships. I don't tell stories, but the postman does, the traders bring back stories, and sometimes I explain matters and find that I am telling a story as I do. They are proud of me- the Hero of Wind, much like the Hero of Time in the legends! But they are wary of me too.

At first it hurt to sail. I kept expecting the head to talk to me, even though I knew that the king had stayed below with the old Hyrule, now truly gone. I remember, in my dreams, and sometime out of them, reaching for him, trying to bring him, and he only looked, not reaching back. He had wished for hope, for my generation- and there was no hope left with Hyrule. Hyrule meant Ganandorf, the evil one, the one that took my sister and how many others, trying to find the Triforce of Wisdom, the one who drove me to bring together the Triforce of Courage, in the hope of spreading his darkness over the world, the one who forced the goddesses to drown Hyrule to stop him.

It took both Tetra and I to stop him, and I will never forget the feel of driving the sword into his brain. The others disappeared into smoke when I destroyed them. He did not. The only salve I have for that terrible memory is the reminder that he thought nothing of people except at tools to get him what he needed. He threw me into the ocean; he held a bunch of pointy-eared girls to find the one he needed; he had no thought but to gain more and more power.

So I am gathering supplies, using mostly the money built up from the trade arrangements, some from the treasures I gathered on the adventure. Most of the trade money is invested, and should keep Grandmother and Aryl when I am gone. I have rescued a dragon and been rescued by a dragon. I have met a talking tree, and seen its loving power being slowly worked to make land. I have wielded the Master Sword of Legend and empowered it. I have solved puzzles, stormed fortresses, and bore the Triforce of Courage. I cannot stay on this island and arrange trades forever. In rescuing my sister and destroying the past, I have lost forever the peace that comes with living on a small island and staying. The sea is hard to deny, once you have begun to learn its mysteries. The sea calls me, and now I have a reason to go.

If there is a new land, and we can settle it once the monsters are gone, then Tetra and I will give the people of these islands new hope. Another Hyrule can be built. The King did not mean to end his land, but he realized when Ganandorf had the Triforce in front of him that both he and the dark one were wrong. Reviving Hyrule was to revive a corpse. It would be a zombie no matter who ruled it. To revive it would be to destroy the new land and ways that built up in its wake and that would be wrong no matter the intentions of those who did the reviving. The old did not need to be remade; it was better to begin again, and that we can do.

So I listen to the rain, and hear the wind call me to my destiny. This time I will answer. When Tetra returns, I will sail in my boat with her, and we will find and found a new Hyrule, based on hope.

Hope, wisdom, and courage: The new Triforce calls.


End file.
